Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS)

Hansson, H.G. (2001). Echinodermata, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 336-351

In: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50. Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle: Paris. ISBN 2-85653-538-0. 463 pp., more

The list of European Echinodermata was compiled by Hans G. Hansson. It used the Echinoderm part of the compilers NEAT lists (available via Internet at address http://www.tmbl.gu.se/libdb/taxon/taxa.html) as a starting point. NEAT (North East Atlantic Taxa) are preliminary check-lists, covering Scandinavian marine animal taxa. The chapter by F.J. Fell on Echinodermata in Parker (1982) was used as the systematic framework. The asteroids are mainly listed from the recent monograph on Atlantic species by Clark & Downey (1992). Mortensen (1927) is used as a basal source for the other groups. Additions from several other sources have been made, and the electronic part of the Zoological Record (covering recent decades) has been utilised. However, examination of the reports from the large expeditions (except the Norwegian North Atlantic and the Ingolf) and other literature since WWII, may add to the species list.

The compiler is generally interested in marine fauna, but is not a specialist on any Echinoderm taxon, so there are certainly several omissions and lapses in this draft list. The assistance of experts in groups of Echinodermata was thus invaluable. Dr Sabine Stöhr, Stockholm, assisted with ophiuroid names, Dr Claude Massin, Brussels, assisted with the holothurians and added 9 omitted species of this taxon to the list. Dr Andrey Gebruk, Moscow, together with his friends Alexander Mironov and Alexei Smirnov kindly helped with several corrections and additions to the holothurians, the crinoids, the echinoids and the genus Caulaster among the asteroids. Prof. Dusan Zavodnik, Rovinj, Croatia, provided severa1 corrections, new distribution notes (particularly for the Adriatic Sea area), information about synonyms, and added a few omitted species. Dr Mateo Garrido, Gran Canaria, provided additional records from the Canaries.

Authors of most genus and species names in the list below have been found, and most often also the years of description, but with several exceptions. Also, some of the years of authority in this list may be wrong, because different sources often have different opinions regarding which year a certain species is described (e.g. gen. Poliometra Clark; the original publication: 1923, Neave: 1924, McKenzie in Howson & Picton 1997: 1913; in this case the year from the original publication must be correct). Thus, further study of the primary literature may improve the accuracy of this list.